Heater for refrigerator cars and other structures



April 25, 1933- A sw ET AL 1,905,954

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 3, 1929 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 MNVENTORE IL ATTORNEY,

April 25, 1933- E. A. SWEELEY ET AL 1,905,954

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 3, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fsqumz- 3A i )z IN ENTORS. Mm

m, ATTORNEY.

April 25, 1933. E. A. SWEELEY Er AL 1,905,954

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 3, 1929 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 A4 Q26 .23 \zz .25

Fiquiar: 4-

1 VENTOR-i Y r ATTORNEY,

April 1933- E. A. SWEELEY ET! AL 1,905,954

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Flquee 6 2% INVENTOR fiwurommz April 25, 1933. E. A. SWEELEY El AL 1,905,954

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 5. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Flciulzsl0.

FIGUEE' 3.

IN V EN TORS.

A TTORNEY.

trol it at the to 25 from the heater fire Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD A. WW, AIamNDBIA, VIRGINIA, AND'NORKAN T. ANDERSON, 0]

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HEATER FOB REFRIGERATOR CABS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Application filed June 8, 1829. Serial No. 368,184.

This invention relates to heaters intended more particularly for use in refrigerator cars but not confined or restricted to that use.

Some of the main objects of this invention are to so construct the heaters and apply them in the cars as to cause the draft to speed up the circulation and making it possible to regulate the supply of draft t rough the fire so as to control the heating, as well as to conof the heater.

The ice cham er of the car is used for the purpose of causing the cooler air from the bottom of the load to be siphoned to the heater and by means of special acketed heaters, to be carried to the ceiling of the car, thence through the bulkhead to openings into the car lading space so rapi 1y as to siphon the heated air from the combustion chamber so as to cause a more rapid circulation of heated air through the lading, resulting in a closer relationship between the temperatures at the floor and the ceiling of the car. This equalizing of temperatures can be brought about by regulating the draft supply po Another object is to construct the fire pot and combustion chamber with a double wall in addition to the shell of the heater. The space between the, shell and the inner casing forming a draft chimney to which the fire pot and combustion chamber communicate through a series of holes or slots. D

Another object is to so construct the base of the heater as to eliminate the liability of having the floor or stand upon which the heater is placed from becoming warm or heated due to the fire in the fire pot, by constructing a padded base.

With the above and other advantages in view, this invention is directed more particularly to the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a railway refrigerator car, showing the improved heater as applied in the ice bunker space;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of a railway refrigerator car showing how the improved heater is placed on the floor of the ice bunker of the car;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heater;

Figure 3* is a detail, sectional view, of connections between the hopper bottom of the charquette container or magazine and upper end of the fire pot or combustion chamber, on larger scale than Fig. 3 for clearness;

Figure 4 is an exterior view of the improved heater;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the top;

Figure 6 is a plan view of heater with lid.

omitted, and cut-off slide wide open;

Figure 7 is a plan cross-sectional view of fire pot with slide in closed position;

Figure 8 is a plan cross-sectional view of fire pot with slide in wide open position;

Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a differently constructed fuel magazine and fire pot;

Figure 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another type of fuel magazine and outer casing construction;

Re errin now to these figures, it will be seen that a heater is provided in the form of an upright cylinder having a straight or corrugated outer shell or casing made from galvanized sheet steel or iron, or similar metals.

Now referring to the various figures, symbo1 1 denotes a railway refrigerator car body; the loading space of the car is shown as 2 and the ice bunker by 3, separated from each other 'byinsulated bulkhead 4 having top opening 5. Car floor in loading space is shown at 7 and floor in ice bunker at 8; ceiling of car space is 9 and that of ice bunker is 10. Car loading space floor is provided with a false floor consisting of longitudinal stringers 11 with transverse top slats 12 permitting openings 13 between slats, the load 14 being placed on top of the false floor.

Heater 15 is shown placed on ice bunker floor 8, secured to ice bunker screens 16 and,

17 of end of car 18 and bulkhead 4 respectively by chains 19 having chain snaps 20 or other means. Similar fastenings are used for other types of ice bunkers.

The heated air rising from the heater 15 rises to the ice bunker ceiling 10, passing into 100 car loading space 2 through bulkhead top opening 5, followin arrows 21 where it comes in contact wit the cooler loading 14, causin air to become cooler and consequently falling toward the car floor 7, heatin the loading 14 as it descends. Upon reac ing the false floor, or car floor, it is drawn into ice bunker space 3 through bulkhead bottom opening 6 to heater 15 where it again becomes heated and continues the circulation described.

In Fi lustrate as positioned in the two ice bunkers 3 located at opposite ends of the car, one at each end, one being ractically the same as the other, and both Functioning in substantially the same manner.

Just as one depends upon a draft for a ood fire in a furnace so the principles have en employed in designing the improved heater. To accomplish a speedy circulation, we have designed our heater with a chimney for drawing off the heated air rapidly.

Our improved heater comprises an outer jacket or casing 22, either corru ated or not,

and inner casing 23, thus providing chimne or flue 24 extending full length of heater, as shown in Figure 3, or as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

The improved heater includes top 25, and lid 26 which is removable for communication with fuel magazine 27 Lower portion of fuel magazine 27 is shaped like a funnel at 28 to provide a self-feed of charquettes through opening 29 to upper portion of fire pot 30.

Heater top 25 is provided with slots 31 over which cut-ofl slide 32, operated by knobs 33, may be rotated so as to have all of the heater top slots closed as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, or wide open as shown in Figure 6. Spuds or depressions 34, and corresponding depressions adapted to be brought into register with each other, are provided in the heater top 25 and cut-ofi slide 32 for engaging with each other so as to hold slide in the desired position. The slide 32 is held in place by clips 35 secured at desired points to top 25 by rivets 36. Heater top lid 26 includes top portion 37 and bottom portion 38 separated from each other by air space 39. Heater lid 26 is held in the closed position by operating bar 40, which is secured to heater lid 26 by rivets 41. The bar is provided at its ends with raised portions or flanges 42 serving as finger lips by which bar may be turned, and also acting as stops against clips 43 when in closed position, clips 43 being riveted to the heater by rivets 36; both the lid 26 and the heater top 25 are provided with beveled surfaces 44 and 45 and horizontal portion 46 in order to insure tight seal when lid 26 is in the closed position.

To fill the fuel magazine 27, heater top lid 26 is removed to permit the charquettes to re 1 of the drawings, a heater is il- 52, and riveted to inner casing 23 by rivets 53 and at bottom by rivets 54; thus providmg opening 29 between fuel magazine 27 and fire pot 30; also the fuel magazine is secured to fire pot vertical portion 66 by cli s 63 having beveled section 64 riveted to t e fire ot by rivets 70 and fuel magazine hopper ttom by rivets 54.

Opening 29 may be opened or closed at will by means of a slide 55 having a beveled front face or edge 56 and secured to handle 57 at outer end by means of pin 58. When the slide is in open position, the handle 57 will be in the position shown in Figure 3, whereas in the closed position, the slide late 55 will move to the left until beveled ront edge 56 becomes engaged at the left-hand side of fuel cut-off slide guide 65, when the handle 57 will pass through slot 59 of face plate 60 y secured to heater outer casing 22 by rivets 61. Outer end of cut-off slide plate handle is T-shaped at 62 for use as a stop against the plate 60 when the slide is in the closed position. The slide plate 55 moves forward in groove 65 formed by flange 67 at top of the fire pot side 66, and clips 68 having horizontal top portion 69 spaced from flange 67 and secured by rivets 70 to the fire pot side 66. This guide at left-hand end of groove 65 shown in Figure 3 forms the stop for the beveled face 56 of slide 55. Slide guide 65 at right-hand end slides between the horizontal flange 67 of fire pot side and the horizontal portion 72 of clip 71 secured to fire pot side 66 by rivets 73. The slide 55 slides on a guide plate 74, having downwardly projecting flanges 75, riveted to fire pot side 66 by rivets 73 and to heater inner casing 23 by rivets 76.

Fire pot 30 comprises the vertical side 66. beveled or outwardly inclined portion 77 and lower vertical portion 78, and the fire pot screen or grate 79, having its center portion a cone shape. Heater pot wall 78 is provided with a series of slots 80 which may be opened or closed as necessity arises by means of cutoff slide 81 slidable in top guide 82 secured to beveled portion 77 of fire pot by rivets 83 and between the wall of fire pot 30 and angle clips or ring 84 secured at the lower end by rivets 86 passing through fire pot casing extension horizontal flange and screen grate 79. Cut-off slide 81 is operated from outside of the heater casing 22 by means of handle 87 secured to slide 81 by means of plate 88 welded or otherwise secured to face of slide 81 as shown in Figure 7, although plate 88 may be riveted to slide 81. Outer portion of handle 87 isprovided with a knob 89 for engaging in slots 90, 91 or 92, of plate 93, (see Figure 4) to provide for all slots being wide open, partly closed or closed entirely in orderto regulate the draft for the fire.

Lower end of fire pot 30 is provided with ring 94 secured to horizontal portion 85 of heater casing 78 by rivets 95.

Heater fire pot 30 is held in place or steadied in the heater by means of clips 96 riveted to face of ash pot or pan 97 by rivets 98. The upper portion of clips 96 are provided with horizontal legs 99 and are riveted through the slide plate guide clips 84, horizontal portion 85 of fire pot, fire pot screen 79 and ring 94 by rivets 86 and 95.

Ash pot or pan 97 is provided with a bottom horizontal portion 100 and beveled or inclined side portion 101 and chute 102 extending to the outside casing 22 of fuel magazine in order that the ashes may be removed without difiiculty from the outside of the heater. Ash pot 97 is held away from the heater bottom 103 by a Z-shaped clip or clips having vertical portion 104, lower horizontal legportion 105 and upper horizontal portion 106; the upper portion 106 being riveted to the, bottom portion 100 of ash pan 97 by rivets 107,'while the bottom leg 105 is riveted through the heater bottom 103 by rivets 107.

In order to provide a means for lighting the heater, lighter 108 to contain an ignitable substance is provided having bottom 109 and beveled sides 110 secured to pivoted arm 111 by-rivets 112. The arm 111 is supported from bracket 112, secured to inner casing 23 by rivets 113, by means of pivot pin 114 -so that the lighter 108 may be swung in such a way as to make it possible to have it swing to be accessible through the door-opening of the heater. Door 115 of the heater is made to operate in guides 116 secured to heater sides 22 by rivets 117 (Fig. 4). Bottom guide 118 is formed by extension of the bottom portion 100 of the ash pot 97 as shown in Figure 3. Door 115 is provided with a pendulum type of latch mechanism 119 secured to heater door by pivot pin 120 and having raised finger portion 121 as a grip for operating pendulum latch 119; lower end of latch 119 is provided with jaw or claws 122 for engaging with triangular shaped catch 123 secured at bottom portion 124 of heaterthrough flanges 125 attached by rivets 126 so that in the swing of latch 119 due to vibrations from motion of the car or otherwise, the pendulum claw will engage catch 123 and prevent the door 115 being jarred open, or left unintentionally open.

Heater bottom 103 consists of top plate 127, asbestos pad 128 and bottom plate 129; and also sub-base consisting of horizontal plate 130 with downwardly projecting sides 124.

Inner casing 23 is provided with horizontal legs 131 at lower end, while outer casing -overheated, sub-base 130 is provided, having vertical sides 124 provided with holes 134 so as to provide circulation of air under the padded heater bottom 103.

In order to provide a draft for the heater. holes 135 are provided in outer casing 22 and holes 136 in heater casing 23 of the heater;

the holes 136 provide entrance for air to the under side of fire pot 30 in' order to provide a good draft. Part of the air entering holes 135 however, passes up through the chimney 24 and out through slots 31 in the heater top 35 and into the bunker space of the car. As the air becomes warm it will pass through holes 137 of heater inner casing 23, which is below the upper portion of fuel magazine hopper 28, becoming difi'used with the air passing up through chimney 24 and with it pass out through slots 31'of heater top 25.

In order to regulate the heat from fire pot 30, cut-ofi' slide 81 may be rotated by handle 87 so as to have the slots 138, provided in slide 81, come directly opposite slots 80 of fire pot lower section 78, as shown in Figure 8. Slide 81 may be rotated so as to provide only half or other part of the opening. 4

Holes (not shown) may also be provided in heater bottom 103 to facilitate extra draft.

Chains 19 are secured to straps 139 riveted to casing 22 by rivets 140.

A stop plate 141 secured to casing 22 by rivets 142 is provided so door 115 cannot slide beyond the guides 116.

The heater may be made with outer jacket 22 and inner jacket 23 with chimney 24 extending from top 25 to bottom of heater as shown in Figure 9, or it may be made with the outer casing 22 running from top to bottom, and inner casing 23 made to con-verge at its lower portion to form the conical discharge of the fuel magazine, as shown in Figure 10; the remaining parts of the heater shown by Figures 9 and 10 being similar to heater shown in Figure 3, except that in the form shown in Figure 10 a bafile sheet 143 has been provided under the bottom 144 to form an air Space 145, and the top has been made straight at 146, while the side 22 has been flanged at 147 and riveted to top by means of rivets 148. i

In Figure 9 numeral 149 designates a brace bar of which any desired number may be used. extending from the side wall of the fire-pot 30 to the casing 23 to brace the parts and in Figure 10 the numeral 150 designates two rods, of which any number may be used, extending from the fire pot wall and from described, that the carbon monoxide gases the side of the upper part of the combustion chamber, to the casing 22 for bracing purposes.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that we have provided a heater which will provide a uniform heat and that the heat may be controlled by opening or closing the slides in the fire pot or heater top.

It will be observed from the construction generated from the bed of charcoal in the fire pot, pass from the fire pot through the valve controlled slots 80 made in the wall of the fire pot and thence into the chimney 24 and from thence into the bunker chamber 3, from whence they pass through openings 5 in bulkhead 4 into the laden chamber 2 of the car and thence into contact with the loading 14 of the car. The temperature of the heated gases is lowered as the gases come into contact with the loading 14 of the car and then tween t e casings 23 and 22 through which they are dischar ed into the bunker 3 and again pass throug the openings in the u per part of the bulkhead into the chamber 0 the car containing the loading, in successive cycles. The difference in temperature between the upper and lower portions of the loading chamber and the bunker containing the heater has the effect of siphoning the heated air or gases from the bunker into the upper part of the loading compartment of the car and from thence back into the bunker containing the heater as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By cansin the gases to be discharged through the sixfe walls of the fire pot at the lower portion of the heater and controlling the discharge therethrough by the dampers provided therefor it is made possible to obtain a better control of the draft through the body of the fuel and to obtain the most satisfactory results with a smaller volume of fuel thus efi'ecting an economy in consumption of fuel and also bringing under better and more eflicient control the fuel combustion for supplying the necessary heat to the loadings in the body of the car. The discharge of the gases from the fuel through the sides of the fire pot also creates a draft in a direction lateral to the where they are discharged into the bunker which contains-the heater a much better circulation of the heatin gases is obtained, and

fine or chimney 24 from which they dischar e into the bunker through the openings 31, t e exhaust through chimney 24 inducing a circulation of air through the fuel ate of the fire-pot into the body of the fue in the pot and thence laterall through the body of the fuel and through the openings in the wall of the fire-pot and thence into the chimney 24. The result is that a smaller portion of fuel in the fire-pot is ignited and burned in the fire-pot in producing combustion under the induced air circulation through the fuel in the fire-pot, the gases generated in the firepot being discharged therefrom below the top of thefuel in the pot, substantially midway of the fuel in the pot. This results in economy of fuel with sufficient combustion to generate the gases to be utilized for heating commodities in the body of the car and for effecting the siphoning of air between the bunker in which the heater is located and the body of the car containing commodities or load under transportation. By confining the combustion of the fuel in the fire-pot to a smallerarea as described, it is made possible to more quickly change from the temperature conditions necessary for a colder climate than required for a milder climate in transportation of the commodities, as a smaller body of live fuel is maintained in the fire-pot, and thus also is effected a saving in fuel. This statement of the functioning of the elements 'of' the heater and advantages gained will be appreciated by the skilled in this art. Other advantages than those specified resulting from the construction described will be appreciated by the skilled in the art. It will be observed that the upwardly and inwardly inclined portion 77 of the fire pot wall above the perforated lower portion 78 of the fire pot is imperforate. This has the effect of confining the combustion of the fuel to the lowermost portion of the fire pot substantially at or below the point or plane where the fuel passes from the zone circumscribed by the flaring wall 77 into the zone circumscribed by the perforated wall portion 78 of the fire pot. Thus the combustion zone of the fuel is confined substantially at or within the zone circumscribed by the perforated wall 78 as the gases are drawn laterally through charged outwardly t rough the openings 80 instead of being drawn upwardly through the zone circumscribed by the im erforate flarin wall 77 of the fire pot. If e flaring wall 7 of the fire ot-were perforated an upward suction or ow of gases would be induced through the fuel zone circumscribed by the flaring wall 77 of the fire pot with the result that the zone of combustion of the fuel would be materially enlarged, with greater consumption of fuel, andthe difficulties of regulating the temperature materially in-- creased. It is important that the regulation of temperature of the car be under efiicient control. If the temperature be too high and fruits be under transportation, the fruits on reachin their destination may be too far advanced 1n maturity to admit of a desirable period of storage, and hence the necessity for regulation of the temperature during the transportation period, and it is also desirable or important that suflicient fuel be. provided for the transportation period. Under the present inveritipn the necessary conditions and requirements are provided for, as the combustion zone of the fuel is within such confinement and regulation that with the minimum consumption of fuel the necessary and most suitable temperature for preservation of the commodities being trans orted is obtainable, and the temperature 0 the car can be readily raised or lowered as may be necessary to meet the outside temperature of the zone through which the car may be traveling, b manipulation of the dampers controlling t e openings in the side walls of the fire pot through Whlch the gases pass, and otherwise as hereinbefore described.

It will be further observed from in ection of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, t at the gases generated in the heater 15 are discharged from the heater into the bunker chamber 3, substantially at the midway portion or zone of the bunker chamber so that the major portion of the bunker chamber will be heated b the gases discharged into the chamber. his creates astron er upflow or suction and circulation o gases through the chamber and which are discharged through the o ening 5 into the loading compartment 2 o the car. This suction upflow of gases also functions to draw air from the loading compartment back into the bunker chamber and also into the heater 15 and through the fuel in its fire pot and through the openings in its walls and upward through the chimney flue 24 from which it discharges into the midway zone of the bunker chamber as described, the circulation through the heater promoting combustion in the fuel of the heater.

While the preferred details of construction and arran ement of parts have been described wit particularity it is to be understood that changes may be made therein without departin from the essential features sou ht to be efined in the appended claims.

aving described the invention and set forth its merits what we claim is:

1. A heater comprising a casing the upper portion of which constitutes a fuel magazine, a fire-pot within the casing having its upper end in communication with the fuel magazine to receive fuel therefrom, spaced from the walls of the casing, having valve controlled openings in the lower portion of its wall, and provided with an apertured fuel supporting bottom, means for admission of air to the interior of the casing for supply of air to fuel in the fire box, an external casing surrounding the inner casing substantially from top to bottom of the inner casmg and spaced from the walls thereof to form a chimney-flue in communication with the space between the fire box and walls of the inner casing for supplementing the valve controlled openings in the walls of the fire box for passing air through the fuel and exhaustin the gases generated in the heater and a va ve for controlling the exhaust of gases through the chimney-flue.

2. A heater comprising a casing the upper portion of which constitutes a fuel magazine aving a heat-insulated bottom, a fire-pot within the casin having its upper end in communication with the fuel magazine to receive fuel therefrom, spaced from the walls of the casing, having valve controlled openings in the lower portion of its wall, and provided with an apertured fuel supporting bottom, means for admission of air to the interior of the casing for su ply of air to fuel in the fire-box, a chinmeyue in communication with the space between the fire-box and walls of the inner casing supplementing the valve controlled openings in the wall of the fire-box for assing air through the fuel and exhausting t e gases generated in the heater and a valve for controllin the exhaust of gases through the chimneyno.

3. A heater comprising a casing the upper portion of which constitutes a fuel magazine, a bottom to the fuel magazine, having downwardly converging sidewalls, a firepot within the casing having its u per portion in communication with the uel magazine to receive fuel therefrom and formed at its upper end with an inwardly projecting flange, a ring around the upper portion of the fire-pot formed with an inwardly extending flange disposed beneath the terminus of the converging walls of the fuel magazine and spaced from the flange at the upper portion of the fire-pot wall to form a guide for a fuel control damper,.and a slide damper o erable in said guide and constituting a cut- 0 between the fuel magazine and upper portion of the fire-pot.

4. A heater comprising a casing containing a fire-pot and a fuel magazine in communication with the fire-pot, the fireot formed with openings in its side walls isosed to be below the top of the fuel in the fire-pot to cause air to pass transversely through the bod of the fuel and be dischar ed outwardly through the openings in the re-pot wall below the top of the fuel in the fire- 0t, and a dam er for controlling ex- 10 haust 0 gases throug the openings in the fire-pot wall.

5. In a freight car heater comprising a fuel magazine having a fuel controlled discharge opening; a fire pot consisting of an upper imperforate wall section and a lower perforated wall section, the portion of the upper imperforate wall next to the lower perforated wall section converging inwardly and upwardly and serving to confine the zone of combustion substantially to the junction of the upwardly converging wall of the imperforate section with the lower perforated wall section of the fire pot and causing air to pass transversely through the body of fuel confined within the lower perforated wall section and preventing its passage upward through the imperforate section, thereby conserving consumption of fuel and producing a relatively lower temperature.

6. In a car formed with a bunker compartment and a loading compartment separated one from the other by a bulk-head partition having top and bottom openings for communication between the two compartments; a heater positioned within the bunker compartment to discharge heated gases from the fuel in its fire pot into the unker compartment at substantially the middle portion of said compartment, said heater consisting of an outer casin an inner casing contained therein an spaced from its side walls, a fire pot contained within the inner casing, the upper portion of the fire pot consisting of an imperforate wall and the lower portion of a perforated wall, for passage of air transversely through the bod of fuel confined within the perforated wa portion, the inner casing which encloses the fire pot having perforations in its wall for establishin communication between the interior 0 said casing and the space between its wall and the outer casing, said space constituting a chimne -flue for drawing gases transversely throu the fuel within the perforated wall portion of the fire pot and discharging them into the bunker in which the heater is located.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signa- 60 tures.

EDWARD A. SW'EELEY. NORMAN T. ANDERSON. 

